Machine Vision Solutions for Web Materials

Vision Inspector Beacon is ideally suited to find surface defects, non-uniformities, and registration errors in paper, film, and fiber web materials. Beacon is an intelligent machine vision system that detects, characterizes, and classifies defects.

Intelligent Machine Vision for Surface Detect Detection

Web-based materials manufacturers need 100% quality inspection. A tiny defect in the web materials becomes greatly magnified during processing and use. In addition, false-positives and down-time need to be eliminated from the web manufacturing process. Beacon does all of this and more.

Beacon detects defects using reflective and/or transmissive light and identifies a number of defect types (e.g. process buildup, subtle white spots, handling defects, blade cuts, calendar marks, fish eyes, pin holes, craters, seeds, sags, holes, burn marks, friction lines, cracks, texture, dirt, hairs, wrinkles, streaks, stains, roll marks, punctures, bubbles, and many others). In addition, Beacon detects errors in:

• Registration/alignment
• Regularity
• Uniformity
• Color consistency

In order to detect the full range of defects, Beacon captures very fine resolution images (~14µm resolution). Typical web materials defects run between 10µm and 100µm. With Beacon, even higher resolutions can be attained (<5µm).

Beacon Improves Quality and Manufacturing Processes for Web Materials Manufacturers

With the high-performance surface defect detection Beacon provides, web materials manufacturers are able to improve quality and processes. 

Beacon includes data reporting features that provide keen insight into defect types, patterns, characteristics, and frequencies. Furthermore, all inspection data associated with an inspection event; such as registration failures, splice events, or user-triggered events, are stored for forensic analysis. Boulder Imaging’s viViewer provides the ability to review events from any Windows-based computer on your network. This allows real-time playback, including the ability to zoom and scroll through recorded images, while inspection continues. Inspection monitoring and control operations are also provided real time. This data allows web material manufacturers to compile data on defects and improve their processes.

False positives can be eliminated as Beacon’s intelligent defect characterization enables web materials manufacturers to identify and correct negative trends associated with recurring types of defects. Continual elimination of false positives exponentially improves system uptime and production line efficiency.

Managing your web materials manufacturing environment takes a giant leap forward when you utilize Beacon as an essential element in your overall quality control, financial performance, and manufacturing processes.

Case Study: Beacon Defect Detection Substantially Increases Production Line Speed and Inspection Accuracy of Web Materials

Crane Currency employs multiple Vision Inspector systems from Boulder Imaging. These systems provide print registration inspection for Mylar thread running at line speeds of 750 feet per minute, down to a 10µm resolution. The inspection systems run flawlessly on their production lines 16 hours per day.

Boulder Imaging systems include data reporting features that provide keen insight into defect types, patterns, characteristics, and frequencies. This proves of substantial value to Crane, who previously experienced false positives averaging six per hour that required they repeatedly shut down their production line. False positives are down to one per 48-64 hours and are continually decreasing as Beacon’s intelligent defect characterization enables Crane to identify and correct negative trends associated with recurring types of defects.

Boulder Imaging’s Vision Inspector Beacon provides Crane:

• Inspection speed increase of > 300%.
• Virtual elimination of false positives (from an average of 6 per hour to 1 per 48-64 hours and improving).
• Production line integration.
• 100% micron-level inspection accuracy at speeds of 750 feet per minute.

Solutions from Boulder Imaging have made an extraordinary contribution to Crane Currency’s security paper production line efficiency and their overall quality control process.

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